9/17/2023 0 Comments Big ben bell size![]() ![]() However, the reason for which Big Ben was built wasn’t simply to be the tourist landmark we know today. The smaller bells, known as chimes, are used to play the melody for the Westminster Quarters, also immensely recognizable in its own right. ![]() Of the five bells housed in the building, Big Ben is the largest and heaviest, clocking in (pun intended) at over 15 short tons. So it’s kind of surprising to discover, especially after having said Big Ben so many times, that the thing isn’t even called Big Ben at all! The most recognizable element of the monument is the neogothic tower, originally simply known as “clock tower” (Renamed to “Elizabeth tower” in 2012 to celebrate the diamond jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II), followed by the clock, simply known as…well, “clock”.īig Ben is in fact totally invisible to the outside observer, as it is the name of the main hourly bell within the tower. Movie shot in London? Yep, there goes Big Ben. Anything that has something to do with Great Britain is likely to use a photo of Big Ben in one way or another. ![]() Oh, and it’s also a clock.ĭespite being one of the more recent icons of western culture (Its construction was completed in 1859), Big Ben has become the favorite go-to image for English schools, travel agencies, and even translation businesses. The Great Wall of China maps the history of China throughout the centuries defending their land from northern invaders, and the British Houses of Parliament, crowned with Big Ben, are the symbol of modern democracy and internationalism known all over the globe. ![]() The Great Pyramids of Giza are a connection with the ancient Egyptian dynasties that ruled the Nile valley for millennia. The Statue of Liberty represents the American Dream, in which every man or woman on earth is free to become the person they strive to be. We have to admit that their monumental size seems to play to their advantage, invoking a deep sense of awe at the sheer human willpower that made them possible, often in an age when construction techniques were far different from the ones we enjoy today. Big Ben's clock stopped again in May of 2005, on one of the hottest May days ever recorded in London.While all of them are of deep importance to the heritage of these nations, there are a handful that are so absolutely well known, they have become almost symbols of the Earth itself. The April 1997 stoppage occurred the day before that year's general election, but the malfunction was probably not a factor in the voting, which Tony Blair's "New Labour" won in a landslide over incumbent Prime Minister John Major. In 1962, snow delayed the bells, causing the capital of Britain to ring in the new year ten minutes later than the rest of the country. Since then, both extreme heat and the buildup of snow have caused Big Ben's clock to stop ticking. Despite the heavy damage that the Blitz inflicted on London, however, the clock stayed within a second and a half of GMT for the duration of the war. The bells stopped ringing again during World War I, and the tower was not illuminated at night for the duration of World War II, when most of London was kept dark to make German bombing raids more difficult. The first bell cast for the tower cracked before it could be installed, and the second bell also developed a crack shortly after installation, resulting in silence from the tower until 1862. For 54 minutes, the most famous clock in the world failed to keep time.Ĭompleted in 1859, Big Ben has a long history of technical issues. On April 30, 1997, at exactly 12:11 pm, London's iconic Big Ben clock stops ticking. ![]()
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